I Can Keep My Family In My Pocket

My mom was a preschool teacher for twenty years. She has lots of helpful tidbits she gathered during those years that she shares with me. With the beginning of school (and Simon's first day of preschool) we talked about transitions and how many kids cry when their parents leave their classroom. Her idea with Maya, which I remember her doing with my brother, was to draw something on the kids hands so they have something tangible but unobtrusive to remind them of home. She also said to give her a little photo of the family to keep in her pocket that she could hold if she missed us.

I ran with the second idea for Simon. My sister had gotten Maya some shrinky dink paper for her birthday which you could use in an inkjet printer. I could print and shrink a family photo and make it into a keychain to either hook onto a belt loop or onto a backpack. I set to work!

I then cut them out and used a standard hole punch to make a hole. I set my toaster to 350ºF and put the photos on parchment paper. I watched them photos as they curled up and then flattened out. I took them out and placed a book over them immediately to make them flat.

They cooled very quickly and I got key rings and connector rings and put them together! Maya's now lives on her lunch box so she can see us during snack and Simon's on his backpack.